The Messenger
by shinigami714
Summary: Sometimes a little push is all it takes to show us how strong our bonds truly are. A prompt fill for CatWesker, Fili/Kili Fluff, Smut, and a touch of Angst.


AN: A prompt fill for CatWesker. Someone requested that I write Thilbo next, but I had this one already on my request list so I did it first, sorry!

Pairing: Fili/Kili

Warnings: Fluff, A touch of Angst, Smut

* * *

**The Messenger**

Fili and Kili had always shared a special bond. They were brothers, and brothers always had a certain bond between them. However, to any who took the time to look just a little closer, it was plain as day. Their bond went further than that of siblings. The two lads spent day and night in each other's presence. They went everywhere together. When one spoke the other would finish, and when one moved, the other would follow. Fili always seemed to know when his brother was hurt, and likewise Kili always knew when his brother was as well. The two lads could soothe each other's souls with a simple touch, or a meeting between their eyes. It was almost as though their minds and hearts were one, in fact, they nearly were.

Fili had discovered at a young age that he could feel his brother's presence. Not physically, but instead spiritually. He knew when Kili was approaching, long before he could see his dark hair and eyes. He could feel it in his heart and mind. And whenever Kili travelled too far away, it tore at Fili's very being, and he was struck with a pain like no other. Kili felt a similar pull, though unlike his brother he easily grew distracted, and rarely noticed until the other dwarf's worried voice called out to him across the wind. The two grew to fear separation. For the farther apart they went, the greater the pain, and the less focused their thoughts came to be. Fili quickly learned to keep a watchful eye on his brother, and whenever Kili moved too far away, and Fili began to feel that tug in his heart, he would shout out, and Kili would quickly return to his side with his breath short, and his heart thumping loudly in his ears. Even their tutors soon realised it was far easier to teach the two together, as they were less focused without the other's presence by their side.

When Fili's beard began to grow in the time came to separate the two lads. They spent far too much time in each other's presence after all, and if Fili was to become Thorin's heir one day, he would need to learn his independence. In the end, the brothers spent only one night apart. Kili's cries rang through their home as nightmares ravaged his mind, and Fili struggled against his covers and gripped at his heart while he felt his brother's pain. Dis understood in that moment that the two could not survive apart, and she knew her sons' bond was unlike any she'd ever seen. From that day on not a single dwarf would separate the two lads, lest they suffer unnecessary pain and the two lads grew even closer with time.

Fili and Kili soon discovered the limits to their bond. The greatest trouble came with prolonged separation. The longer and farther they were apart, the worse it weighed on their minds. For short periods of time they could walk a fair distance from one another, but there was always that hidden tug the farther they were. Never did either dare step beyond the invisible barrier, for both feared the result. It went unspoken that death might await them if they did.

Time passed by quickly for the brothers, and they spent nearly every moment together. They watched each other mature, and braided each other's hair, even though Kili always let his unravel. They trained together and relaxed together, often sleeping encased in each other's arms. Eventually Kili's seventieth birthday came to pass, and with it the gift of a beautifully crafted bow, courtesy of his uncle Thorin and his brother's efforts in the smith. The young dwarf was filled with so much excitement and he desperately wanted to rush out and break in his gift. He practically dragged his brother from their home and towards the nearby forest, while their mother laughed and waved as they ran down the road.

"Brother! Can you believe it! A real bow!" Kili shouted as they reached the edge of the forest. He turned and lifted the bow in the sunlight, twisting and thoroughly examining each and every facet. Light glinted off the metal facings and the detailing on the grip. Fili caught his breath and grinned at his brother, unable to stop a chuckle from escaping his throat. He could feel the other dwarf's happiness rolling across their bond.

"What about your old one? It was a real bow," Fili voiced with a raised eyebrow and his brother tossed him a playful look.

"A child's bow, you mean," Kili muttered, and then he was looking back at his gift and running his fingers across the many engravings in the wood.

"This one's beautiful," Kili mumbled. Fili watched his brother with a smile on his face. It really was a gorgeous bow. Fili and Thorin had been working on it for weeks now, making absolute certain it was perfect. Fili sketched out designs for the engravings himself, finally settling on a stylized raven. The dark feathered birds had always reminded Fili of his brother. He figured Kili must have been a bird in his past life, wild and free, soaring above the hills and trees. As Fili looked upon his brother, at his dark hair and penetrating eyes, he could almost picture thick black wings lifting from his back and fluttering in the wind, carrying him off into distant lands. His heart was pounding faster than usual, and he thought for sure Kili must have felt it too.

"It's so perfectly balanced; I can't wait to shoot it!" Kili whispered, his eyes wide with awe.

"Well come on then, let's see what you can do with it," Fili chuckled, and he gripped his brother by the sleeve and pulled him into the forest.

It didn't take long for Kili to get started. He was crouching nearly instantly and nocking an arrow while he aimed through the undergrowth at a squirrel. Fili knelt not far from him, doing his best to remain still and quiet while his brother focused. The first arrow soared straight into its target. Kili let out a loud whoop and ran towards the squirrel.

"How's the tension?" Fili asked as he approached and gathered up the creature in a pouch.

"Amazing!" Kili shouted, once again lifting the bow to gaze at it.

"Feels good then?" Fili queried and his eyes roamed over his brother's form. The other dwarf was bristling with excitement.

"Better than good, feels great!" Kili exclaimed and he tossed a glance at his brother. He rushed to the other dwarf's side and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek in thanks. When he pulled back a wide grin was plastered on his face and Fili felt heat spreading across his skin. Quick as can be Kili was turning and running off into the trees again.

"I'm going to go test it more!" Kili bellowed over his shoulder.

"Don't go too far!" Fili yelled back and Kili tossed him a careless wave. The older dwarf busied himself searching for firewood to take home, strapping it over his shoulder to carry. He could feel his brother through the bond, and though the distance was becoming a little uncomfortable, it was manageable. He wanted to give Kili some time alone to really enjoy his gift. Still he slowly started after his brother as the bond compelled his feet to move in the other dwarf's direction. He worried about the other dwarf sometimes. He feared losing him. Fili wondered if Kili felt the same pull he did, if the same heart wrenching pain gripped at him when they grew too far apart. He knew the other dwarf felt it a little, but for Fili, their bond was everything. He worried that someday Kili would walk beyond the limit of the bond, and leave him forever, stripping him of both his heart and soul. When Fili finished tying a second bundle of wood together he stood tall and frowned. Their bond was pulling, Kili was moving too far.

"Kili?" Fili yelled out through the trees, waiting for a moment but there was no response. Kili was always the reckless one, so easily distracted.

"Kili!" Fili shouted once more before he began to move in the direction he felt his brother. Suddenly he inhaled in shock as the bond pulled tighter than ever. Fili dropped the bundles of wood from his shoulders and gasped for air. What on earth was his brother doing? Could he not feel their bond straining? Fili steeled his nerves then took off at a run. They'd never stretched the bond beyond its limit and he didn't want to find out the result.

* * *

Kili chuckled to himself as he pulled an arrow from a small fox on the ground. His new bow shot so smoothly, it was almost like another limb. He looked upon it again, unable to believe it was truly his. He had never owned something so incredible. His fingers ran across the engravings again, his brother's work, he was sure. Fili knew him best of course, and the raven was seamless. The grip fit so well in his hand, like it was meant to be there. He sighed happily and began to walk through the trees once more. He shouldn't venture too much further but he knew his brother would follow him soon so he continued on.

Kili was admiring the way sunlight flickered through the gaps in trees when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned quickly and his gaze latched onto the form of a stag. His eyes widened dramatically. It was completely white! They hadn't had a stag in ages, let alone a white one! Kili grinned and slowly pulled an arrow from his quiver. He knew he could shoot it down, and then they'd have a fantastic dinner that night. It was the least he could do to thank everyone for his gift. Kili moved into place and aimed straight at the stag. He licked his lips and prepared to release the arrow when the stag turned its head and its eyes looked directly into Kili's.

The dwarf froze. Sunlight streamed down between the beast's great antlers and illuminated its pale form as the stag's eyes bore into his own. Kili frowned and faltered, lowering his bow slightly. There was something about the stag that compelled Kili not to shoot it, something in its eyes that spoke to him. It looked almost ethereal, and Kili could have sworn he saw some sort of intent in its ghostly eyes. But then it was jumping and rushing away and Kili stood in a hurry.

"Damn it!" Kili shouted, setting after the stag in a flash as he latched his bow on his back. He jumped over rocks and twigs, roughly pushing the underbrush away from his face. He couldn't let it out of his sight, no matter what. He vaguely noted his chest was hurting, and he was stretching his bond with Fili farther than he ever had. He faintly heard his brother's voice yelling out to him from the distance. But still he ran, his eyes just barely catching glimpses of the white animal moving in the distance as it jumped over roots and rocks. Something told him this was important, that he had to keep up. He reached a small clearing and skidded to a halt, his eyes landing on the stag where it stood at the edge of a cliff. He stepped carefully towards it, and then bolted forwards as it ran down the hillside.

Kili was pulling his bow from his back and he swung it around just as he reached the edge of the cliff. Then suddenly an intense pain took hold of his form. Kili screamed, and dropped his bow in shock as he fell from the cliff, rolling down through mud and sticks. It was like a rope had snapped somewhere in his body. He flinched as his form hit icy water and gasped as the liquid filled his lungs. He couldn't move, couldn't think as the current of a river dragged him under. He'd gone too far. He'd been too reckless. He'd…he'd broken the bond! His eyes grew unfocused and the rivulets of the water above him turned to blurry white shapes. He thought he saw it once more, the white stag, but his mind quickly settled on another.

"Fili…"

* * *

Fili lurched and fell to the ground as the most intense pain he'd ever felt grappled at his frame. He rolled and vomited in the grass. His mind had exploded with agony while his heart shattered and he turned around as he struggled to breathe. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly but opened them not a moment later. He felt startlingly empty. There was nothing there, he couldn't feel his brother at all, and he pushed himself to his feet as he began to panic.

"No….No!" Fili shouted, and he moved on unstable feet in the direction he'd last felt his brother. He refused to lose him, the little brother he'd always loved, cherished and looked out for. It took a few moments but finally he felt it, that light tug once more and he nearly fell to the ground in relief as the feeling washed over his body in a rush. Their bond hadn't completely severed, in fact, he could feel his brother stronger than he figured he ever had before. But he realised something was wrong. His brother was in pain, he was frightened, and panicking. Fili ran with renewed vigor. It did not take him long to find a clearing and he moved to the edge of the cliff there and looked down quickly. He couldn't see Kili anywhere, but his bow lay on the ground near a river. Fili skid down the muddy cliff edge and ran towards it to pick it up. He was close, he could feel it, though when he looked up he saw only the eerily still river. He looked around in confusion for a moment before suddenly realising that his brother must have fallen into the river. A fear unlike any he'd ever known spread through him.

Fili wasted no time running to the river's edge and looking down into the water. He sprinted along the muddy ledge frantically until finally he caught sight of the other dwarf's dark hair floating in the stream. Fili rushed forwards, diving into the water without removing any of his clothing. It was freezing and caught him off guard on impact, but still he forced his body to move and his eyes opened in the chilly depths. His brother was barely moving, his form frozen in place as his arms reached towards the surface of the water. His dark hair contrasted unnervingly with his pale skin, and his dark eyes looked empty and lost. Fili swam towards him then gripped Kili tightly around his chest as he heaved him up onto the water's edge. His brother gasped and coughed on the ground and Fili leant over him and rubbed his back as Kili spat the water from his mouth. He wrapped his arms around the other dwarf's back in a tight embrace then turned him until they were both safely encased in each other's arms. Kili's eyes were wide with fear and his hands shook as they tightened in the fabric of Fili's shirt. The older dwarf pushed the matted hair from Kili's face and kissed along his brow.

"Kili! Kili! Please, tell me you're alright!" Fili hissed into his brother's ear. The other dwarf coughed a few more times as ragged noises escaped from his mouth, and Fili felt his brother's fingers struggling to retain their grip in his shirt.

"Fili," Kili managed to whisper, and Fili pulled him tight to his chest. He had been so terrified. The few moments he'd been unable to feel Kili had felt like an eternity.

"It's okay, I've got you, I'll get you home," Fili whispered as soothingly as he could manage, though his voice was shaky.

"I-I'm sorry brother, s-sorry," Kili stuttered. Fili could feel so many emotions washing over their bond. It was twenty times more powerful than before, and Fili wavered momentarily at the feeling. There was guilt, regret, fear, anguish, pain, and above all an intense love. Finally he managed to get a hold of his emotions. Fili tossed his brother's bow over his shoulder then lifted the other dwarf into his arms.

"Hush," Fili muttered as he began the trek home.

* * *

Kili woke with a start, gasping for air as his mind struggled to remember what had happened. Fili was at his side in an instant, his hands rubbing across his brother's face and neck as he tried to calm down. Kili felt tears drip down his face and he reached up and pulled his brother into a fierce embrace. The two dwarves held each other until Kili's breaths evened out and his tears stopped falling. The older dwarf shifted onto the bed next to his brother and pulled Kili's body to rest atop his chest. He stroked his brother's hair gently before leaning down to whisper in his ear.

"What were you thinking Kili?" Fili asked gently and his brother lifted his head back to look him in the eye.

"What made you run off like that?" Fili said with a worried expression. Kili's eyes searched his for a moment before they shifted off to the side.

"I saw…," the younger dwarf began.

"What?" Fili pressed, rubbing across the creases that had formed in his brother's brow.

"A white stag," Kili whispered. Fili's hand stopped moving for a moment and his eyes widened slightly. Kili's eyes looked distant and Fili frowned and kissed the top of his head.

"I followed it, and I don't know why, but I was so…entranced. And, before I knew it, the bond snapped in my chest, and I was falling down a cliff into the river," Kili admitted and he swallowed thickly at the memory. His body shuddered and Fili lifted him higher so his head rest against his shoulder.

"I see…I was wondering how you ended up nearly drowning, you've always been a good swimmer," Fili spoke gently. Kili turned his head slightly into the other dwarf's neck and breathed in deeply.

"I couldn't breathe, couldn't move, from the shock of it all. It was so painful, and then…nothing," Kili trailed off, and Fili wrapped his arms around the other tightly. They sat like that for some time until Kili pulled away slightly and looked at his brother.

"We…lived?" Kili asked, and Fili nodded. It was something they had always feared. If they were ever to pass through that barrier that kept them together, would they die? Would they cease to exist? Would their bond disappear?

"It felt…it felt like I'd broken our bond forever. I was so cold, so…empty," Kili stammered, and Fili pressed his nose into his brother's hair.

"I thought I'd lost you, that I would die, without you by my side," Kili stumbled over the words.

"I will always find you brother, even if I cannot feel you through the bond, just don't fly away too far," Fili voiced and Kili looked up at him with a small smile. They gazed at each other for a while and then Kili shifted and pushed his brother down on the pillows so he lay atop his chest.

"Does…the bond feel…different to you?" Kili asked as he tilted his head to the side.

"Yes," Fili stated. He reached up and cupped the other dwarf's face, and Kili leant into the touch and closed his eyes.

"It feels stronger," Fili admitted as he ran a finger across one of his brother's dark eyebrows. Kili made a satisfied noise and opened his eyes again. For once his face was devoid of emotion.

"I…I want to be closer to you," Kili whispered as he looked upon his brother's face.

"Kili, I don't think we could be closer if we tried," Fili chuckled with a grin, though it faded when he saw that Kili was serious. His brother lowered his body until their faces were nearly touching, and then he closed the distance, pressing their lips together gently. Fili moaned quietly and gripped the back of his brother's head, entangling his fingers into the other's dark hair. Their lips moved against each other tentatively for a few moments before they pulled away from one another.

"…Oh," Fili mumbled quietly as he looked up at his brother's lust filled face. Within seconds their lips were joined again and they battled to dominate each other's mouths. Fili gripped his brother around the waist and rolled atop him, pushing the younger dwarf's body into the mattress below. Kili groaned, opening his mouth in surprise, and Fili plundered it with his tongue. Their bodies rutted against each other and soon their arousals pressed and rubbed together.

Fili pulled away and panted while he tried to catch his breath. They had shared a few chaste kisses before as young lads, but nothing serious. And though they had always loved each other, in that moment it was on another level altogether. Fili knew he would never lover another as much as he did his brother.

Kili gripped Fili around his neck and pulled his body up to kiss his brother. His eyes were heavy lidded and his face was flushed a deep red colour that mimicked his lips. They stared into each other's eyes and Kili ran his tongue across his brother's lips.

"Closer," Kili breathed against his brother and a shudder passed through the older dwarf's body.

"Kili…are you sure?" Fili asked, his eyes boring into the other dwarf's. However even as he asked Kili's legs parted slightly and wrapped around his body tantalizingly. He would have known without looking that his brother was more than sure. He sensed only desire through their bond and not a hint of doubt. He braced himself and pressed one more kiss against his brother's nose before pushing him down onto the sheets.

Kili's nightclothes were easy to slip down his body and in no time at all Fili was between his brother's legs and pressing slick fingers at the tight ring of muscle there. The first finger breached his brother easily and Fili nearly collapsed at the pleasure he felt pass through their bond. It was easy for him to stretch the other. He could tell the moment his brother tensed and even better the exact places Kili adored having fingered. Fili pressed furtively into the right spots and spread his fingers gently as he kissed along the other dwarf's neck. Fili knew his brother was on the verge of orgasm and he pondered for a moment on whether he should continue what he was doing or stop. He decided he desperately wanted to be closer, just as Kili had to him. It was a tough battle but he managed to removed his fingers from the other dwarf's tight heat and release his own arousal.

Fili ran his hands up and down the other's thighs as he pressed forward into his entrance. He'd never felt anything so intense before. He could feel so much, all of his desire mixed with his brother's as well. It was incredible, and when he moved within the other it only felt better. He pushed his body against the other dwarf so they were touching in every possible location and kissed his brother passionately. Kili had wanted close, and he would give him it. Their movements were slow and languid, but anything more would have been overwhelming. They rocked against each other in a leisurely motion and took turns stealing kisses from each other's lips.

Fili couldn't imagine ever touching another as he was his brother in that moment. Everything felt perfect as their minds connected, and Fili could feel Kili's heart beating in tandem with his own. Perhaps they were always meant to be joined like this, as close as they would ever be to existing as one.

All too soon Kili was shaking beneath his brother and running his nails down his back as he climaxed between their bodies. His body tightened and twitched around the other, and if that hadn't been enough, the pleasure passing through the bond surely would have been. Fili groaned loudly and threw his head back as he released within the other dwarf. His mind was overloaded with thoughts and feelings and he fell atop his brother, unable to support his body. They caught their breath together as satisfaction passed between their souls. When they were finally composed, Fili held his brother tight, refusing to give up the nearness they still shared. They lay next to each other in the mess of sheets, kissing occasionally and running fingers across sensitive skin.

"Perhaps it wanted you to follow it," Fili mumbled into his brother's ear and the other dwarf turned to look at him with a blissfully unaware expression.

"The stag," Fili clarified and Kili's eyes widened in recognition.

"Balin once told me white stags were messengers. Maybe it was testing you…testing us," Fili voiced, all the while caressing his brother's back and shoulders with thick fingers.

"You think so?" Kili asked curiously and Fili hummed and looked up at the ceiling.

"Who knows," he answered with a smirk. Kili shimmied closer again until their bodies were pressed together along their sides. They were both on the verge of sleep when Kili sat up in surprise. He shook his brother roughly with wide eyes.

"My bow! I dropped it in the forest!" Kili shouted and Fili rolled his eyes then tossed an obvious look at the table in the corner of the room. Kili's bow lay on top of the table, in one piece, and the young dwarf visibly relaxed at the sight.

"You think I would let my precious brother's bow rot in the forest?" Fili asked and pulled Kili back down beside him.

"You love it more than me!" Fili joked and Kili flushed a deep red. He pouted playfully for a moment, but when he looked up at his brother's face he wore a serious expression.

"That's not true," Kili insisted and looked directly into Fili's eyes. The older dwarf studied him for a moment and smiled. Fili knew his brother spoke the truth, for he could feel his brother's love for him through the bond they shared. He knew Kili loved him more than anything, just as he loved him in return.

* * *

AN: Hope you liked it!

White stags show up in many mythological tales. For my purposes I'm taking from Arthurian legend. The white stag is able to avoid capture and the pursuit of it is a symbol of a spiritual quest. It was also thought to signal the right time to actually begin a quest (Erebor anyone?). Stags on their own also represent many things, such as rejuvenation, rebirth and the passage of time.


End file.
